Dangote Makes Forbes Rich Men's List, as Otedola Drops Out

Lagos — ALHAJI Aliko Dangote, Nigerian born billionaire commodity merchant, industrialist has again made it on the list of the world richest men alive, according to a Forbes World Richest Billionaires released yesterday. But his friend and arch rival, Femi Otedola has, however, dropped out of the list probably due to the stock market crash that has gravely eroded his fortune.

Dangote has been in business for many years with interest in almost all sectors of the economy, including politics where he is known to be one of the financial backers of the ruling party, the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP.

Dangote's net worth was put by Forbes at $2.1 billion. This is the third time the 52 year old Chairman of Dangote Group of Companies would be making the list. He was listed as the 463rd in the world.

Meanwhile some well known South African billionaires also made the list. Nicky Oppenheinmer, a citizen of Johanesburg, South Africa was listed as 154 in the Forbes list of world's richest billionaires in 2010. He runs De Beers, the world's largest producers of diamond. He accumulated his fortune from inheritance. He is married with a child, while his estimated fortune is put at $5.0 billion

Patrice Motsepe, a self-made billionaire was listed as 421 with an estimated net worth of $2.3 billion. The South African is married to a beautiful lady who runs African Fashion International and together they have three children. His major business interest is mining.

Johann Rupert Family, another South African, also has an estimated net-worth of $2.3 billion. Also listed as 421 on the world's richest list 2010, is Johann who deals in luxury goods.

Meanwhile, Carlos Slim Helu, a Mexican-born billionaire has been declared the 2010 Forbes world's richest man alive, ahead of Bill Gates. He has a net worth of $50.3 billion. Bill Gates has $50 billion dollar as total net worth.

Mexico's Carlos Slim beat Bill Gates and Warren Buffett for the top spot on Forbes magazine's annual list of billionaires, becoming the first person from outside the U.S. to lead the rankings in 16 years.

The net-worth of Slim, 70, who built a telecommunications empire after buying Mexico's state-run phone monopoly two decades ago, rose $18.5 billion to $53.5 billion. Gates, 54, chairman of Microsoft Corp., fell to second as his net worth increased $13 billion to $53 billion. Buffett, 79, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., was third with $47 billion, a rise of $10 billion.

Slim is the first person other than Gates, last year's richest person, or Buffett to top the list since 1994, which was also the last time a billionaire from outside the U.S. led the ranking: Japanese real estate tycoon Yoshiaki Tsutsumi.

Asia's richest person, Mukesh Ambani, 52, of India, chairman of Mumbai-based refiner and energy explorer Reliance Industries Ltd., was ranked fourth with $29 billion, up from $19.5 billion last year, when he was seventh.

Lakshmi Mittal, 59, also of India, the chief executive officer of the world's biggest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, rose to fifth from eighth. Mittal's net-worth increased $9.4 billion to $28.7 billion as shares of his company have almost doubled in the past year.